Really Great FAQ Sites From Official to Unofficial Sources

LawFAQs (Divorce Questions from Canada's SchoolNet)
Of all of the sites providing easy to understand answers and information about basic family law, this is the winner. But it's almost impossible to find it you look for it directly. For reasons I can't explain, it seems no longer to be on Canada's SchoolNet's own site but can now be found through the Access to Justice Network (ACJ) site. When you go to Canada's SchoolNet's Law Room scroll down to the Law FAQs and click onto the link, you get a message that you're not authorized to view the page. But if you go into the page through the link set out on the left of this column, you get there. So it may be that the only realistic way to get to this page is by bookmarking the site address on the left. Who cares - just check it out. Because it is - or was - part of the SchoolNet site, it's written to be understood by students, but it doesn't pander or "talk down".

The Divorce Topic List has 148 questions and answers set out with simplicity and clarity. What makes this so interesting for family law practitioners is that we can recommend it to our clients on the basis that this will likely help them deal with questions from their children when really it will be a site at which the client will be able to seek out answers to questions they may have but didn't think of asking or were embarrassed to ask. These questions, taken at random, indicates how this FAQ page works: ¦ "What will happen if my mom refuses to let my dad see me, even if he has a court order for access?" ¦ "What happens if my mom has custody of me and she decides to take a new job in another province? Will we have to move with her?" ¦" If my mom and dad get a divorce and my mom gets custody of the kids, does my dad have to pay money to my mom for us to live on?" ¦ "My dad has moved into an apartment, and my mom says she doesn't know if we can stay in our house. What will happen?" And lots more like that.

The Legal Studies Program, Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta
This is another terrific resource. It's an attractive site with its Q&A section divided into Alberta and National sections. The link set out on the left is to the National set of topics, but the Alberta links are one click away. No matter where you are in the country this section has a great listing of topics with a set of questions and answers for each one. Regard this as a national resource and, if you practice in Alberta, consider the Alberta section as a special bonus.

The Student Legal Services of Edmonton
This organization states it's Mission is "To enable University of Alberta Law Students to give FREE legal information and assistance to the low income community of Edmonton and to contribute to Legal Reform and Legal Education efforts as they impact on poverty law issues." And they do a terrific job by publishing a number of Guides to family law topics (as well as several other topics) in booklet form. In some cases they've posted the Table of Contents and in other case the entire booklet's available. They set things out in straightforward language giving Albertans wanting to know their rights a wonderful resource. Every province would benefit by having a matching set of information available.

The Ontario Ministry of The Attorney General Family Justice Matters
While this is a site primarily of interest to Ontario practitioners, it's listed here because of the wonderful online version of Where Do I Stand: A Child's Legal Guide To Separation and Divorce. This booklet is a long time standard in Ontario and well worth reviewing for children in any province. It's comprehensive and prints out at 28 pages. It has a good Table of Contents and is basically set out in a Question and Answer format. While written for Ontario children, and their parents, the booklet is of value for anyone in Canada and is an easy read. This is something you can recommend that your client download and review at leisure, but if you're not practicing in Ontario, check it out for yourself first. The Ontario AG's Department also offers information about Family Law matters for the province including Family Courts, Supervised Access, the Family Responsibility Office Home Page, The Office of the Children's Lawyer, and Lawyers and Legal Aid. The site has access to the new Family Law Rules in Ontario as well as information about the provincial Child Support Guidelines and Family Violence and an online version of What you should know about Family Law In Ontario.

The Department of Justice's Child Support Site
This site is discussed at length below, but shouldn't be overlooked for the amount of information it provides to novice and family law lawyer alike. It doesn't use the FAQ format, but is a spiritual sister to the sites listed here.

Legal Line
This is a not-for-profit site which provides hundreds of Legal FAQs under scores of categories. There are 26 headings in the Family Law section with a title and a short discussion in layman's language.